Natural History Museum London • Dinosaurs Among Us
Welcome back to the second part of our Natural History Museum London experience. In this second part, we will be taking you to the blue zone where the mammals and dinosaurs are displayed. For me, the most exciting part of this museum is the dinosaurs which bring out the imagination and child within us.
Before we proceed let me take you around the Hintze Hall which is also part of the green zone. The most popular place for photography is this spot in the museum.
If you missed the first part of this travel feel free to check part one below.
Hintze Hall
The center of attraction in this hall is the skeleton of the 25-meter blue whale hanging from the ceiling. This is the most photographed display here in this museum. I am sure you have probably stumbled upon a video featuring this great whale. This is why I took a lot of photos from different angles from the museum. The structure of this hallway is breathtaking and feels like you are teleported back thru time. From the walls, columns and ceiling everything looks so majestic.
The skeleton of the American mastodon is also on display. A creature from the Ice Age was carefully reconstructed to feature its correct size. Can be easily confused with a mammoth but it is different as the tusk is shorter and they lived in a different climate.
A taxidermy giraffe is displayed just across the mastodon. Side by side a skeleton is another feature here that you cannot miss.
The Atlantic Blue Marlin is one of the largest fish on display.
A giant Turbinaria coral has been here on display for more than 150 years now.
The statue of Charles Darwin will greet you at the stairs and he has been sitting here since 1885.
Don't just look around you but you would also need to look up. Up on the ceiling are decorated panels of plants and trees. These have been here since 1881.
Are we back in the past? I saw them from across the stairs and could be part of the staff in a display gallery. I was a bit shy to approach and ask.
On the second floor are more species on display and the light shining thru the painted glass gives it a beautiful moody afternoon effect.
A giant Sequoia tree that is 1,300 years old. The tree has a lot of stories to tell as it has seen a lot throughout the millennium. It does not say how it was felled but if it was not cut down it could still be standing today. What do you think?
This section is for VIPs or members and you could purchase a membership thru their site. I guess they have the cool stuff hidden away in this section.
The Blue Zone
Now we continue our search for the dinosaurs thru these doors. Not knowing what we would see, my heart races in excitement. Questions on my mind. Are they real bones? What species are there? Do dinosaurs still exist? Do I need to watch Jurassic Park again?
This device will stamp coins for you as a souvenir here. I saw a couple more in other areas.
Entering the Mammal Gallery, here you will find great animals from polar bears to a squirrel. This gallery alone will take a lot of your time if you would check each species on display. I just took a couple of shots along the way and breezed thru the gallery. There would not be enough time if we wanted to see the dinosaurs.
This is the Images of Nature gallery. Here on display are paintings, and photographs created by specialists and scientists. Some artworks date back 350 years ago.
A part of the museum that we failed to explore is the Orange Zone. It houses the Zoology spirit building and the Cocoon. This is the only photo I took from the Orange Zone. You could see the entrance on the right side which we did not go to. It is an interactive gallery to learn more about nature and science.
Finally, we reached the Dinosaur gallery and from the distance, I can already see a skull of a Triceratops. With the theme of Jurassic Park playing on my mind, I was so excited to come face to face with creatures from 65 million years ago.
The skulls of a Triceratops and Trex hang above the hallway. Can they be real or just plaster casting? This gallery is amazing and should never be missed when visiting the museum.
Below are interactive displays about the dinosaur's habitat. I didn't check it as I was so excited to go deeper into the gallery.
In this room, a roaring Trex animatronic can be found. The roar of the Trex will draw you in and expect there are a lot of people here taking videos and photos.
More skeletons hang from the ceiling but you will not miss them as you pass thru each corridor.
The hatching eggs again reminded me of the movie and I think this display is a great addition to your experience. You will also see real egg fossils on display.
This is a real deal skull of a Centrosaurus which looks very real to me. I thought it was a triceratops at first and I am not familiar with the Centrosaurus. It also shows their defensive position when protecting their young.
Here is the Parasaurolophus and we have seen this dinosaur in the movie several times. It has been believed that the crest produces a distinct sound that they use to communicate.
Here are dinosaurs that are starting to grow feathers. It is suggested that some dinosaurs evolved into birds.
This is a fossil of a Coelophysis dinosaur but looks to be a reconstruction or replica of the dinosaurs. The authentic ones could be those that are enclosed in glass.
The skeleton of a massive Triceratops is amazing. It looks like a plaster casting but is still cool. For me, it is the most popular dinosaur along with the Trex. What is your favorite dinosaur?
The fossil of the armored dinosaur Scolosaurus is as real as it gets and is enclosed in glass. You can see the spikes on the side and if you will look at the back you will see the spine. This is one of the best displays here and I took some time to inspect it.
The plaster cast replica of the Diplodocus used to be on display in the Hintze Hall but was moved to the dinosaur gallery. Must have been amazing to see these colossal creatures.
This is a jawbone of a Trex and looks very real to me.
In the corridor near the exit are photos of those who went on an expedition to find these fossils. Without them, these fossils may not be here today.
Before you exit the gallery you will see a model of a sleeping baby dinosaur. Makes me a little bit sleepy after going thru all the galleries. A nice touch before you leave.
Thank you for joining us today on our experience of the Natural History Museum London. We hope you like the tour and maybe you could visit this amazing museum if ever you are in London. It is one of those places that you should not miss. Sometimes the best things in life are indeed free.
Hope to see you again soon.
Cheers!
All photos are original and taken with
Lumix GX85 and 12-32mm kit lens
